


Forging a Family

by writteninweakness



Category: Amnesia (Game & Anime)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Brother-Sister Relationships, F/M, Family, Found Family, Gen, Ikki is the heroine and Orion's older brother, Originally Posted on Tumblr, Orion is human, i still suck at one-shots
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-12
Updated: 2019-08-12
Packaged: 2020-08-19 14:16:13
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,053
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20211127
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/writteninweakness/pseuds/writteninweakness
Summary: Ikki gets a new job and creates a new family for himself and his younger siblings. His new supervisor is the older brother he always wanted and best friend he needed. His sister can see him changing for the better, and that makes her very curious about the man who helped that happen, and her curiosity only grows when she meets him.





	Forging a Family

**Author's Note:**

> I was afraid I was doing too much of the same old thing with Kent and Kokoa when I wrote Amnesia fics.
> 
> And I've been traveling on vacation and not able to access my computer as much and my inspiration is nearly non-existent because my family is... hard to deal with and doesn't think much of my writing... 
> 
> I did this, and I know it's not perfect. I think I could have turned it into another one of my novel length things, but I couldn't have finished it then, and I... want to finish things.

* * *

“Herald out the news, ring the bells, and let the banners fly,” Ikki called out as he entered the front door, and Kokoa frowned, looking over at Orion, who was laughing. He always found their older brother’s enthusiasm entertaining, usually in stitches of laughter when Ikki was being overdramatic. Kokoa could only smile, since a part of her worried that Ikki was putting on a show so they wouldn’t see how bad things were. She didn’t think Orion had to know, but she was old enough now that he could share more of the responsibility with her. He didn’t have to raise them alone like he had been.

“Ikki—”

“Ah, my fairest princess and dearest of dear sisters,” he said, bowing to her with a flourish, “come and dance with me in celebration. I have a wonderful announcement to make.”

“Is this like the last announcement you made where you were making a career change?” She couldn’t help asking since he’d actually been fired again over something stupid, the first excuse they could find after seeing his eyes’ effect on his female coworkers.

“Well, it _is _another one of those, but in the sense that I just got my ideal job and my boss is… perfect.”

She stared at him. “Perfect?”

Ikki nodded, still bursting with excitement. He almost looked as young as Orion, he was that happy, and she wanted to believe this was not a show. “He’s a genius. He gave me this nearly impossible to solve math problem—two, actually, one with the application, and that was brutal, but the second one he gave me at the interview—and that was _fun _to solve. It sucked, but it was awesome. And he made it. He didn’t find it. And he’s blunt as hell and doesn’t tolerate fools. Should have seen him with that delivery clerk. I swear he was going to beg for mercy, and that was before he even spoke.”

“He sounds awful,” Orion said. “Why would you want to work for someone like that?”

“Because he doesn’t care about the eyes, does he?” Kokoa asked, and Ikki’s smile got brighter as he nodded. “He really doesn’t?”

“Oh, he doesn’t believe that I got this from a wish, and he’s wanting to look for a practical scientific solution to it—he had so many theories about the cause that the doctors who thought they could explain it never came up with, and that was within minutes of meeting me—but in that sense, no. He doesn’t care. He told me that I was an idiot, yes, and went right back to work.”

“And you still like this guy?”

“Yes.”

“You’re weird, Ikki.”

Kokoa laughed. “You don’t know how valuable it is to Ikki to be treated like a normal person. Even insults are kind of… rare. Women are always falling for him, and men dislike him and avoid him. This guy doesn’t seem to do that. And it is rare that someone gives Ikki a challenge in math, either. Most people think he’s weird for liking it as much as he does.”

“True. He is.”

“Hey,” Ikki said, reaching for Orion, but their little brother was too quick, laughing as he dodged out of his grasp. Ikki may have let him do it, but Kokoa was just happy they were both in such a good mood, so happy, and she couldn’t help being grateful to Ikki’s new boss for all of this.

* * *

Kokoa put the blanket over Ikki’s shoulders, smiling to herself as she realized that he’d fallen asleep trying to solve another of his boss’ impossible puzzles. He loved each one, even if they made him cry, which he still denied when both she and Orion saw him do it. He was so silly, but they loved him anyway.

She had honestly never seen her brother this happy, not since his ability showed itself. He’d liked it at first when he was so popular, but it soon soured when he discovered the shallow way they felt was and how much others hated him for what he could do.

No one saw Ikki’s mind or his generous heart, only his eyes. She wished there were a way to change that, and maybe this Ken was how they found it. Even if he wasn’t, it helped a lot that he treated Ikki how he did.

She wanted to meet him. Everything Ikki told them about Ken made her more curious. She wanted to understand how his mind worked. He seemed so different. She also wanted to know what he looked like. Ikki had described a few things, but Ken was still difficult to picture. Orion had this idea that he was a scary giant, a math ogre as their last assistant called him before she quit.

It was a shame about Sawa. She had sounded like she’d almost been a friend, too, even if Ikki’s eyes worked on her, and her leaving because she couldn’t stand Ken was bad, even if still a change for Ikki. He hadn’t driven her away or broken her heart.

This job was so good for him. She hoped he could stay at it a long time, maybe forever.

* * *

Kokoa opened the door, frowning out as she peered up at the very, very tall man standing there. She was used to Ikki’s height, but he was even taller than that, seemingly more so since he wore such a long, dark coat and was a stranger to her. “Hello?”

“Ah,” he said, adjusting his glasses as he studied her, a slight smile maybe forming on his face. “You resemble the photograph on Ikkyu’s desk.”

“What?” Kokoa didn’t know anyone who called her brother by his full name, not even their parents when they were younger. Who was this man? Surely he wasn’t—Oh. It had to be. “Ken?”

“Kent,” he corrected. “I do not know why he insists on calling me Ken. My name is Kent.”

“Oh. Kent.” That made sense, she supposed. She actually liked that name better somehow. “Hello. I am Kokoa. I’m Ikki’s sister. He has been so happy working for you.”

“That is incorrect.”

She blinked, and then she shook her head. “No, I _know_ he likes working with you. He loves every math puzzle. Even when he’s frustrated, he’s so energized. This job is good for him in so many ways.”

“Ikkyu is employed by my father. I am only the supervising researcher on this project.”

“Oh.” Kokoa hadn’t known that. She’d only ever heard about Kent as the boss. Still, she had to frown. “Um, Ikki’s not here.”

“Yes, he is, though technically he is passed out in my car.”

She winced. That couldn’t be good. She knew how Ikki got when he had too much alcohol. “I... I’m sorry. I know Ikki can drink...”

“Yes. He has more of a capacity than suggested by his body weight and muscle mass.”

She stared at him again. “Uh...”

“It is not entirely Ikkyu’s fault. The project was complete. I invited him to celebrate, as is expected, but one drink quickly became many as he was convinced he would not have a job now that the project was completed.”

She shuddered. “Please tell me that is not true. He... This job was so good for him. He needs it. And you.”

It was Kent’s turn to stare. “Me?”

She nodded. “You treat him like a real person.”

“Hardly. Ikkyu is a matter of curiosity, nothing more.”

No. That wasn’t true. Couldn’t be. She had seen Ikki change so much since he started working with Kent. This was so good for him, and Kent was here now, taking care of Ikki. “I don't believe that.”

“What idealism you have you share with him, but I am a practical man. I see a matter of curiosity, something I must explain. It is no more than that.”

“You can’t mean that. Ikki is so much more than his eyes. You have never treated him like he was just that.”

“Do not keep illusions about me. I am not altruistic,” he advised, and she felt strange, instantly wanting to fight him on those words. “Now that I know that this is his home, I will bring him inside.”

“I—yes, you should. Thank you, but—”

He frowned, and that was almost a scary look on him. “What now?”

“You didn’t actually say if the job was done. Ikki needs it. Please. There has to be other work he can do with you and—”

He seemed almost to smile again. “There is. I will discuss renegotiating his contract with him when he is sober. You may inform him of this. Now excuse me. I am going to get him.”

She nodded. She stood there as he left, trying to gather her thoughts. She was relieved to know that Ikki’s job was safe. Kent wasn’t quite what she expected, but he still intrigued her. He seemed like a good person, but a little off-putting. And yet... He wasn’t. What was this? Was she actually thinking—No. That... She couldn’t. He was just Ikki’s boss. His supervisor. Not... _t__hat,_ even if he was cuter than she’d expected.

She almost smacked herself in the face, but mercifully Kent came back before she did.

“You... are... the best, Ken,” Ikki said, slurring his words a little. “My bestest friend.”

“You are very intoxicated.” Kent’s matter of fact words made her want to giggle, not that it wasn’t a little funny to see them like that.

“I always wanted an older brother, and now I have one. The bestest.”

“Ikkuyu, if you attempt to snuggle me again, I will drop you.”

She did giggle then, unable to stop herself.

“Bestest sister,” Ikki said, reaching for her and dragging her close up against him, but since Kent was supporting him, she was right up against him, too. He seemed even taller up close. This was so awkward.

She pushed against her brother, trying to free herself. “Ikki...”

He snuggled into her cheek. “I love you. You’re wonderful.”

“Ikkyu, release your sister and tell me where your room is so that you can be placed in your bed before you pass out.”

“No, I need someone to cuddle. She stays. Unless you want to, Ken. Oh, that’s a good idea.” Ikki grinned, looking like he’d start snuggling him right here. “You can really be my brother then. I told you—I like having a big brother.”

“That is impossible.”

“Family is what you make it,” she said, since Ikki had done just that for them, giving them a home and love after their parents abandoned them. She’d never regretted her decision to fight to stay with him, not once. Ikki was love and support and fun. Their parents were fear and distance, wanting to be sure none of their other children became freaks like Ikki.

“Agreed,” Ikki sing-songed. “Some bonds are better than biology, and I will prove it.”

“Unlikely.”

She laughed again, and Kent frowned. She thought that was also adorable, and she was loving watching him and Ikki interact. Drunk, Ikki was never shy about his feelings, and he did already consider Kent his brother. Kent was less obvious about it, but she didn’t think that he would do this much if he didn’t care.

“Please come to dinner tomorrow.”

Kent stopped in the hallway, frowning at her again as Ikki clung to him. “What?”

“I want to thank you for this, so I will make you dinner.”

Ikki nodded. “You should. She’s a good cook. Accept it. I’ll bring you here after work. Oh. No. I don’t have a job.”

“Ikkyu, if you were not intoxicated, you would know that you are still employed,” Kent muttered as he took him into his bedroom. He dropped Ikki down on his bed, and her brother almost fell over. “We will discuss future research opportunities once you are sober enough to understand them.”

“Oh. Ken, you really are the best.”

“Go to sleep, Ikkyu.”

* * *

“Why did you invite him for dinner?” Orion demanded, his voice grating on Ikki’s oversensitive ears. His head was throbbing, and he already regretted joining his siblings in the kitchen. He should have stayed in bed. “He sounds awful.”

“Orion, Kent is Ikki’s friend, and he’s very nice.”

Ikki blinked, rubbing at his ear. Had he actually heard what he thought he heard?

“Kent?” Orion repeated, frowning. “Since when is he _Kent?_ His name is _Ken,_ isn’t it?”

“It’s _Kent._ He asked me to call him Kent, and I will.”

Orion grimaced. “Ikki...”

“Don’t whine at me. I’m still hungover.” Ikki didn’t want to hear another word in that tone. Maybe not even another word from Orion for a while, even if that was a little unfair. Kokoa’s voice was more melodic. Orion was… just too young. “Though... I heard right? You met Ken?”

Kokoa nodded. “Yes, he brought you home last night. He was very nice, if a little awkward. And he said to remind you that you need to discuss your next project when you’re sober.”

Ikki frowned. He didn’t remember that. Last he remembered was Ken telling him the project was done, so he started drinking a lot as soon as he realized what that meant. He couldn’t lose this position—the money alone was nice, but being able to talk to Ken, to have actual math discussions and debates and even dramatic battles… He swore he’d never met anyone like Ken before, and he never would again. If there was such a thing as a platonic soulmate, Ken was Ikki’s, he was sure of it. He couldn’t lose his best friend and archrival and the older brother he always wanted. “I... still have a job?”

She giggled. “Yes, silly. It was just the one project that was done. There are others. And he left you this, too.”

Ikki reached out and took it from her, smiling and then frowning as the numbers blurred together a bit. “Ooh, puzzle. Damn, Ken... That’s not fair to a man with a hangover. He really is the best... Oh, hell. Did I—”

“You said he was your new older brother and tried to cuddle him, yes. He was not amused.”

Orion was. He burst out laughing as Ikki winced and ran a hand over his face, grimacing at his own stupidity. Ken was sure to hate that, even if Ikki did feel that way about him. Kokoa laughed, too, both of them enjoying his misery.

“I should hate you both.”

“But you love us,” Orion said, hugging him and tugging Kokoa over to join them in a group hug. “Not sure why you love Kent, though.”

“Just wait,” Ikki told him. “You’ll see soon.”

* * *

“It’s like they have their own language,” Orion whispered to Kokoa as the other two spoke like they weren’t even in the room. “A weird one, full of math.”

Kokoa nodded. It was. Kent and Ikki could talk circles around them, so animated and impassioned, arguing things she had no hope of understanding. It was still fascinating to watch, though.

Ikki was really in his element when he spoke to Kent. Someone really understood him. She and Orion tried, but it wasn’t the same. She wasn’t half as smart as Ikki, and she knew it, though she tried to learn to discuss things with him.

Kent knew more about those things than Ikki did.

“This is why it’s special. Why Kent is a good friend for Ikki, and why it’s good for Ikki to have the job that he does.”

“Fine, but he’s still a bit scary. And strange.”

“He did bring dessert.” Kokoa wasn’t entirely sure why she was defending him, but Kent was definitely polite, if nothing else.

“I want to try that.” Orion rushed to grab the container, taking a piece for himself and quickly biting into it. He’d barely even gotten it on his plate before he was almost inhaling it off his fork. “Oh. Wow. Kent, this is amazing. Where did you get it?”

“And the variable formula—I made it—is only practical when applied to—”

“You?” Orion didn’t seem to believe that. _“__You _made this? Really? You can... bake?”

Kent nodded. “Yes. Though my father does hold some significant patents now that allow him to indulge in other research endeavors, prior to that things were not as… free financially, and I supplemented my parents’ income by working part-time in a cafe while I was in college. It specialized in an odd theme and deserts like this.”

“Wow. Okay. You are so welcome any time you bring this along. Or cake. You can make cake, too, right?”

“Yes.”

Ikki shook his head. “You’re welcome any time. Don’t let him make you think you have to bribe him with sweets.”

“I think you cook better than Kokoa.”

She frowned. “Orion—”

“I did find I enjoyed making food even if I did not enjoy many other aspects of that job. Recipes have such precision to them. They can be very satisfying.” Kent reached for his glass and took a sip before continuing. “That said, this is not unfulfilling. Merely… not quite the application of spices one would expect or even prefer.”

“That’s a polite way of saying you hate it, isn’t it?”

“Nah, bestest sister. Ken’s too blunt not to say that directly. He liked it, but he’s bent out of shape because he can’t figure out the recipe.”

“Ikkyu—”

“I heard you naming ingredients when you were eating. I’m sure you were trying to figure out the ratios. It’s so very you.”

Kent shook his head. “As this dinner was thanks and you have repeatedly assured me that if anyone were to harm or even upset your family in any way, I was doing my best to be more cognizant of my responses and not be as blunt as usual as the food was very nearly inedible.”

Kokoa stared at him. “What?”

“Though some prefer a mix of those particular opposite tastes—sweet and sour is popular, after all—I do not and mixing things in such a manner is intolerable. I should very much have preferred a different sauce. That is true.”

“Oh.”

“Don’t let him get you down. You know we love this when you make it for us,” Orion said, rubbing her shoulders.

“Yes, you just didn’t have any way of knowing what Ken likes. Next time you’ll really impress him because we all know you’re a good cook.”

She nodded, still feeling a bit numb, and when she took a bite of his dessert, it really was like insult to injury because it was _incredible. _

* * *

Having Kent over for dinner quickly became a thing. Ikki had found out that Kent’s parents were home even less than usual because his mother was involved in a big trial and his father was overseas at a research conference, so he kept dragging Kent home with him after work so he wasn’t alone. Kent didn’t seem to mind too much, and she was getting better at guessing what might be to his taste and what wasn’t, so he was less inclined to be “overly polite” about hating the meals.

He and Ikki still spent most of the night in conversations neither she nor Orion understood, but even Orion thought it was nice Ikki had such a good friend. It helped, she supposed, that Kent being as polite as he was, he always brought a dessert.

And if he didn’t have time to make one, Ikki and Orion pouted, and as soon as that started, Kent agreed to make something while he was there. The kitchen got crowded, because it wasn’t just her and Kent in there working on food, but also Orion and Ikki, who were trying to get some of the batter or some other bit of the meal.

Somehow, she found she didn’t mind. Ikki was almost always in a good mood when Kent was there, laughing and smiling, teasing everyone and not drinking nearly as much as he would have if he’d come home without his friend. He did have a bad habit of drinking too much when he got lonely, and there was a place she and Orion just couldn’t fill—Ikki had no other friends besides Kent, and he also believed he’d never find another woman immune to his eyes.

Kokoa didn’t believe that. She believed that Ikki would know love, not just from her and Orion, but from someone truly wonderful who saw past the eyes and the act to the real Ikki. He’d found that in a friend, and it was just a matter of time before he found that in someone he could spend his life with.

She was still so mad at her parents. They’d abandoned him, making him feel unlovable, and those women who fell for only the eyes made it worse, but Ikki was worth loving. She loved him, and so did Orion. Kent wasn’t the sort of person who would admit to such a thing as love, platonic or otherwise, but she felt sure he did care about Ikki.

She just had to watch them for a few minutes in the kitchen, and she could tell.

She felt like Kent had become a part of their family, just as much as Ikki did.

* * *

Ikki leaned against the wall and watched the show, smiling as he did. Sometimes this kitchen got a bit crowded, but it was nice having his favorite people here. He loved watching them together, with Orion’s funny attempts to steal food that Ken always seemed to catch him in the middle of. Kokoa did a few times, though she let him off easily, ruffling his hair and sending him on his way, whereas Ken would give him a good lecture and almost refuse to share food, which led to pleading and begging, though it wasn’t usually Orion who won that argument.

Kokoa did. If she interceded for him, he got to have his dessert, because Ken, like all of them, was weak to her.

The more Ikki watched, the more he became convinced that Ken was falling in love with his sister. He wasn’t surprised. Most people who knew Kokoa loved her, and he didn’t mind, either, because then if Ken married her, he’d be family for real, just like Ikki wanted. He’d never thought he’d find a friend like Ken who saw past everything and called him on his crap. Sometimes he was too literal and rational, but other times… Ikki swore Ken was the best thing that had happened to him aside from Kokoa and Orion.

If he hadn’t had them…

Between his parents abandoning him and the way he couldn’t find love… Ikki didn’t want to think about where he’d be. Ken’s friendship was invaluable, and working with him was the ideal job no matter what research project they were doing.

Orion came over to Ikki’s side, leaning against him for a moment. Ikki mussed his hair, and Orion grimaced, but he didn’t move away. He liked it, no matter how much he protested.

“What happens when Kent’s dad comes back? Will he stop eating with us so much?”

Ikki had to admit he thought that might happen, since Ken had said they had a standing meal day at least once a week depending on his mother’s schedule. “Maybe.”

“Maybe? But we won’t have all those desserts.”

Ikki laughed. “I’m sure Ken will still give us some, especially if _she _asks.”

Orion frowned, looking back at the two by the sink. Kokoa was watching as Ken pointed out the Fibonacci sequence in an onion, her eyes wide and her cheeks pink as he leaned over her to show the pattern. She was pretty much in his arms, and he was completely unaware of how close he’d gotten to her, just thinking about his favorite subject—math.

“You think… but… he’s so… she couldn’t like him, could she?”

“Ken’s a good man. She has actually dated worse,” Ikki said, grimacing. He’d made sure that he ran them off in the end, kept them clear when she decided to end things, though he’d had a hard time respecting her decision to date them in the first place, he couldn’t lie about that.

“Yeah, but… it’s Kent. He’s all smart and math and—”

“So? She’s not stupid, she tries hard to understand what I like, and that helped, I think, but they also share cooking and a few other things.”

Orion still looked doubtful, but Ikki had a few ideas already about how to help those two along… and make sure his best friend became the brother he’d always wanted.

* * *

“Ken?”

“I do not wish to drink any more tonight, nor are you going to convince me to have a ‘slumber party’ no matter how much you insist on it,” Kent said, resting his eyes for a moment. True, he was tired, and taking the steps to return home had little appeal, but he was not going to stay here, either. The appropriate boundaries between his role as supervisor were already crossed, but they did not have to be blurred so badly, either.

“Now that would be fun, but I was thinking… when your father comes home, are you planning on a big night out for him? A dinner at his favorite restaurant or something?”

Kent shook his head. “No. Why?”

“You’re not going to celebrate him coming back?”

“That’s an absurd notion full of much more sentimentality than either of my parents has ever shown in the past.”

“I see.”

“Why?”

Ikkyu smiled. “Well, I just thought… maybe if you were going to make him a special welcome home dinner, you might want some help.”

Kent frowned. “So you’re volunteering your sister for this? Because your idea of cooking leaves much to be desired.”

“Hey, I am not that bad,” Ikkyu protested, though Kent could hardly agree with such a statement. Ikkyu’s tastes were rather… interesting, with him always adding strange spices that only he or his younger brother cared for, forcing Kokoa and Kent to protect any meal from his interference. “Though, yes, I think it would be better if you had her help than mine. You two get along in the kitchen almost as well as a married couple might.”

“That’s a fallacy. My parents do not cook, so there is no such thing as a cooperative kitchen, and traditionally, that role was—”

“Forget the anthropological lesson. I know how little you care for that kind of study anyway. I’m just saying you and Kokoa get along well in the kitchen. You two make such good food I get tempted to lock you both in there forever.”

“That is excessive.”

“Not really. Others have tried to steal my sister away for her cooking before, and Orion and I barely got her back. And he’d love to chain you to the counter and keep you making every dessert you can until he gets so fat he explodes.”

“That is an unappealing image.”

“Still… you could use a bit of help, right? You can make a nice dinner for your dad, my sister will help, and I’ll bring the sake.”

Kent frowned. “Sake? Why would there be—are you inviting your entire family to my father’s dinner? A dinner that I was not, in fact, planning on having. My parents and I… We do not eat together as often as you three do. This… is not normal for me.”

“It should be now. We all enjoy having you here every night.”

Kent doubted that. Orion only liked his desserts. As for Kokoa… Kent was not certain how she felt about his presence. She didn’t say much aside from asking for food, though occasionally she did seem to want more explanation of something he and Ikkyu had discussed. She rarely had the concept correct, but she was willing to listen and learn, and her reaction when shown the Fibonacci sequence in food…

“So you’ll let Kokoa help with his dinner? Good. I’ll bring her over in time to start dinner.”

“What?”

Ikkyu patted him on the head and walked away. Kent grimaced, knowing he had lost that battle without even understanding why the other man had fought it in the first place.

* * *

“I’m sorry for this. Ikki insisted even when I told him this should be something for your family to do on their own,” Kokoa said as Kent let her into his house. This place was huge in comparison to the apartment she shared with her brothers. She found herself in a wide open room, scattered with plants, all with signs on them.

“Your brother is very strange,” Kent agreed, and she giggled, glad Ikki hadn’t come inside with her. He’d insisted on doing a few things and getting sake first. She had a feeling he was going to surprise Kent’s dad and pick him up despite the fact that Kent had told them all that he had a car arranged. He’d be taking Orion, too, and she hoped that wasn’t a disaster in the making.

“He is, but we love him anyway.”

Kent nodded. “Yes, I suppose you do, don’t you?”

“You’re not really going to argue that love isn’t real again, are you?” Kokoa didn’t want to hear that one again. She didn’t like it. Love was more than a chemical reaction. It couldn’t be measured by science, and it wasn’t just hormones or instinct.

If it was… She swallowed. As far as that went, she should feel a lot differently, and she knew it. She knew how her brother felt about Kent, seeing him as family, but that didn’t obligate her to feel anything, either. Yet…

She felt her cheeks flush.

“I lack the energy for that, and you seem unwell. You do not have to stay,” Kent went on as he walked toward the other room. “My father will not see any of this as necessary. I know that, and I tried to explain this to your brother, but he did not listen. He insisted on doing this, and I do not understand why.”

She followed after him. “Didn’t you miss your father? And your mother missed him, too? You really wouldn’t have a welcome home party?”

“Um… no. It’s never really… My family is not like yours. It is not so… demonstrative or emotional.”

She nodded, though that made her sad as well. She had heard him say such things about his parents before as well as felt that familiar pang that came with her parents’ desertion. She, Ikki, and Orion were close. Their parents hadn’t spoken to any of them in years. “It should still be nice for all of you, and I’m glad to be a part of it. I don’t feel unwell at all, so if you don’t mind, I will help.”

“I should warn you that your assistance may create a false impression.”

She frowned. “What?”

“I am not in the habit of bringing home any women, so… um… my parents may believe that this is something it is not. You should be aware of that. That’s… I… You can go. I can cook on my own.”

She blinked. Was Kent… did she dare… She had to, didn’t she? “Kent, would you have a problem if they thought you might like me? If… if we were considering dating?”

He stopped, turning back to stare at her. “You don’t find that… impossible? That… why would you want to date a man like me? Out of gratitude? That is too much, and I do not think you should feel even what you do. I have done nothing notable. I am not… worthy of such affection from you.”

She stared at him. “How could you think you’re the unworthy one? I’m the idiot here. You’re a genius. And you have been wonderful to my brother. I don’t have any reason not to like you. I mean, we have argued some, but you’ve also made me think as much as you frustrated me sometimes, and you are a good cook and we somehow manage to do it without fulfilling that cliché about too many cooks in it. I like spending time with you.”

“Oh. I… I was unaware of those… sentiments. They are… surprising.”

She hadn’t expected to admit to all of that, but now she had. “Well, I… you’re not like a lot of guys I’ve known, and you’re better than my parents since they abandoned us when they found out about Ikki’s eyes and the effect they had, and so I… you’re different. You have been since the day Ikki got hired. I almost wish he’d met you sooner, you know?”

Kent nodded. “Yes, I suppose you do see me as a fit companion for your brother.”

She frowned. Was he saying that because he thought that was all she saw in him? That wasn’t true at all. “I… Kent...”

“If we are making food, we should get started. It will take us some time to prepare, and Ikkyu also insisted I make my father’s favorites.”

“Yes, of course.”

* * *

“You know all of this was unnecessary. I had a car arranged, and even if I did not, I could have taken the subway. I am not so old as to be incapable of that.”

Ikki found himself smiling. Ken’s dad was a lot like him in some ways—and in others, not at all. “Mr. Daichi, that was before I became best friends with your son. Now I’m still not saying you’re incapable of taking the subway, but why should you when I can be here instead? It’s just my way of thanking you for the opportunity you’ve given me, as this job has been perfect, and you are my boss. I don’t think letting you take the subway is right.”

Orion frowned. “I thought Kent was your boss.”

“My son is his supervisor.”

“And an excellent one. Few people are known to keep me in line.”

“Yeah—only Kokoa and Kent manage that, that’s true,” Orion said, and Ikki frowned at him, but Daichi smiled. “And I also doubt Kent knows you did this.”

Ikki’s brother knew him too well. “Maybe, but why wouldn’t I do as much for a friend? Ken needs to learn these things, too. I don’t think he’s had many friends.”

“Friendship is not something Kent has found particularly useful to study,” Daichi said, and Orion frowned at him, mouthing the words _study friendship? _“He’s not interested in observing humans as much as other species—he does quite well with plants, very detail-oriented, but he’s not bad with animals. Our house has become a bit of a refuge for strays he wished to ‘observe.’”

Ikki grinned. “Ah ha. I knew it. I knew he had a pet. Kind of hard to deny it when he’s always got some rogue cat hair on him.”

“You are so weird, Ikki. And so is Kent. That has to be why you get along.”

“You’re weird enough yourself, little brother. Don’t even think you’re not. That’s why we all fit as family.”

Orion glared at him, but Daichi just laughed.

* * *

“This is quite a fuss,” Daichi said as he saw the prepared food on the table. So much and so many of his personal favorites. He walked past them and came up to his wife. She looked tired, but she was smiling all the same as she put her finger to her lips, pointing into the kitchen. He frowned but then looked over to see their son working with a lovely young lady.

“I think you’re making it up. It’s not really in eggs, too.”

Kent laughed, lifting up an egg and showing her the path of the Fibonacci sequence, making her frown and try to shake her head in protest. He laughed as she did. “You are so stubborn. This sequence is everywhere in nature.”

“So does that suggest a possible grand design and not random genesis?”

“Oh, you want to twist it to that, do you?”

“I maintain there is more to life than science and logic. There are things that can’t be explained by either one. You should allow for more possibilities—including emotions and love.”

Kent looked at her with a tenderness Daichi had not seen from him towards any other human, and he had a feeling his son already had some sense of that latter word. He had found his match, then, his genetics leading him to the right one.

So this was a special occasion after all.

“I think it is possible to allow for some things that cannot be explained with our current level of technology,” Kent answered, but he was clearly teasing, and she knew it as well, laughing as she took the egg from him. “Unless one of you disagrees with that.”

“Of course not,” Daichi said, since he rather endorsed the idea that things they could not explain now would have reasons later. That was the way it had been all through history and he doubted it would stop any time soon.

“I have to side with my sister, much as I want you to be right about that so I can do something about these eyes of mine,” Ikkyu said as he came closer to the rest of them. “You two have outdone yourselves. This is a feast, right, Orion?”

“You’re not really going to try and chain them to the kitchen, are you?”

“Shh,” Ikkyu said, though he smirked widely, “no telling them that now.”

Kent shook his head. “You are ridiculous, Ikkyu. Such a thing would not be practical or sanitary, and there would be far too many sharp objects in reach as well. Your plan has far too many flaws to be any kind of success.”

She laughed again as her brother pouted, her eyes still on Kent.

Yes, Daichi felt sure that Kent had met his match. This was worth celebrating after all.

* * *

Soon, dinners with Daichi and Ayeka were a common thing. At first it was just Ikki inviting them all along to Kent’s usual dinner night with his parents, but it soon became nearly every night, with Kokoa sometimes going on her own to start, finding new recipes or variations that she thought Kent would like to try.

She knew sometimes it was just an excuse, but she honestly didn’t care. She just wanted to spend time with Kent, though she found she enjoyed his parents, too. They were funny and explained so much about why he was the way he was.

They seemed to like Orion, too, from telling him stories about his constellation’s origin and laughing at his attempts to steal more dessert from Kent, who rarely let him get close enough. His instincts were improving, Daichi said, which he credited Ikki for, since they had some kind of game she had yet to see where they snuck up on each other with math puzzles.

That sounded hilarious, and she _did _want to see it.

She wanted to see a lot of things, if she was honest about it.

* * *

“Can we adopt parents, too?” Orion asked, and Kent blinked when he realized the question had actually gone to him. “I know they can adopt us, but can we claim them? Because yours are so much nicer than ours, and Ikki says you’re our brother, so we can have your parents, too, right? That would be awesome.”

Ikkyu grinned. “I like that plan. I think we could ask your mom, right, Ken? She’s the lawyer. You think she’d object?”

Kent forced himself not to look at Kokoa. He knew very well that both his parents were interested in seeing her become family. They were convinced she was his genetic match—a fact that seemed somewhat unlikely and yet it was undeniable that certain chemical reactions seemed to be happening within him.

“Ah ha, I know,” Ikkyu dragged her close and shoved her at Kent. “Once we get you two together, it will all be as good as done anyway.”

“Excuse me?”

“I suppose that would work,” Orion said, tapping his chin as he thought. “And we’d get to have Kent’s desserts forever. I kind of like that idea.”

“Of course you would,” Kokoa said, ruffling his hair. “It’s more complicated than that, you know. Both of you should know that.”

“What’s complicated about it?” Ikkyu asked. “You like Ken, Ken likes you, his parents adore you, we like them. We love Ken. We love you. It’s already family just without the legal connection. Once you two tie the knot, we have it all.”

“Ikkyu, stop being ridiculous,” Kent said, leaving the room rather than prolong this discussion and hear her remind him again that it was _not _like that between them.

* * *

“I am telling you—he’s holding back because he thinks you don’t really like him,” Ikki said, and Kokoa groaned, putting her head in her hands, trying to cover her ears. He reached over and lifted them away, nudging her head up. “That’s it. Look at me. I know you like him, so don’t start that. Ken is the only one who doesn’t, but then Ken’s gone through a bit of… unhappiness just like I have when it comes to his relationships. Girls interested in Ken tend to be after his father’s patent money or his mom’s prestige as a lawyer, not Ken himself, and if they are after Ken… There’s been a few that were just after the challenge since there’s a rumor he’s asexual so they wanted to prove he wasn’t.”

Kokoa shook her head. “That’s not right. He’s… even if he was, he’d have every right to be that way, but I don’t actually think he is. He’s just not used to emotions, not with people. He loves his cats.”

“Agreed.”

“And he cares a lot about his parents. And you.”

“Yeah, well, that’s also somewhat of an issue.” Ikki saw her frown and shook his head, wishing he hadn’t brought it up, though he couldn’t help being frustrated about it. Ken was a friend. He didn’t need everyone in the world assuming they were gay because they liked hanging out together. He didn’t have an issue with gay men, but he was straight and so was Ken. People assuming otherwise was rude and another sign of toxic culture, since being close male friends suddenly became something it wasn’t. “Never mind. I’m just still angry that the last girl I turned down chose to spread the idea that Ken and I are gay for each other.”

Kokoa winced. “I… That is not right, either. People shouldn’t speculate on your sexuality or try and use it as a weapon. And you’re not gay. You’re annoyingly straight.”

“What?”

“As your sister, I honestly have no interest in hearing about your conquests, which you weren’t shy about back before you tried to make a change and only date women who saw the real you.”

Ikki nodded. “I suppose that’s true enough. I just didn’t have anyone else to talk to about it, though Ken finds it just as annoying as you do.”

“I’m not surprised.”

Ikki made a face at her, and she just laughed. He grimaced. “Well, if all women were like you, I’d already have found the love of my life. You set the bar kind of high, sister.”

She shook her head, kissing his cheek. “I still believe that you will find someone.”

He nodded. “Meeting Ken gave me hope. Even if he can’t cure or moderate my condition—which I think he’d come closer than any medical doctor ever has—he showed me that someone outside my family could treat me normally. Of course, I went and made him family, but I don’t mind. I’m just saying—you’re going to have to tell him.”

Kokoa flushed. “Ikki...”

“Don’t deny it. You like him. Just… say it. He’ll need you to do it. If he doesn’t think you want him, he won’t risk everything he’s gotten with us if he thinks you don’t. He knows how much we all adore you, how protective Orion and I are, and he… I think he’d rather nothing changed so he could stay around you rather than upset you by telling you he likes you.”

“That’s—”

“And it’s Ken. For all no one thinks he can be romantic or even care about someone else’s feelings, he is romantic and he cares a hell of a lot about the ones he loves. He won’t do anything you don’t want, so… tell him what you want.”

She nodded, and Ikki smiled at her, sure he would soon get Ken as his brother, just like he wanted.

* * *

She reached again, her fingers grazing it this time, and she grimaced, straining to get that last bit when suddenly she was off her feet. Her hand touched the container easily, and she clutched it close as she came down. She felt a slight touch steadying her, and she looked behind her at Kent.

_Please don’t let him take his hands away._

“Next time, perhaps you should ask for assistance.”

She grimaced, feeling foolish. He was there, and he could have done that for her if she’d only asked. “It’s not fair. You’re so tall.”

He smiled, and her stomach twisted. She knew there wasn’t much sense in denying this. She loved him, and she wanted him, but she struggled to admit it even if Ikki was right and Kent needed her to make the first move.

She swallowed. “Can you do it again? Lift me?”

“I... Yes, though I should not have done so in the first place.”

She thought Ikki might be right about Kent being worried she wouldn’t like his feelings for her or want him touching her when she did. Oh, how she did. “Please?”

“Why?” Kent frowned down at her. “You have what you need, don’t you?”

“I want to see again what it’s like being as tall as you.”

He considered that. “There are other, more practical and perhaps safer ways. If you were to climb on my back, that might be best or—”

“Like before,” she insisted, since she wanted to feel his hands on her again, wanted his touch there and a lot more, “only this time I’ll face you.”

He nodded, though she thought he was a little red as he picked her up. She welcomed his hands on her waist and the rush she felt with such a small thing even before he lifted her very far. She put her arms around his neck and smiled at him.

“So this is what it's like to see like you do.”

“Not quite.”

She took his glasses off his nose and put them on herself, making him laugh.

“Still not quite. Those glasses will impair your vision, and I would have clear vision and I—why are you leaning closer? I should put you down and—”

“Not yet. There is one more thing I want to do.”

He frowned some more. “There is?”

She nodded, gathering all her courage before she leaned forward and kissed him. Oh, she never wanted to come down from this. He not what she expected or what she thought she wanted, but he was perfect all the same, what she needed and never knew.

He pulled back and set her down in shock. “If this is because of—”

"Ikki could never make me fall in love with you. That’s not how it works. You did that without trying or meaning to just by being who you are.”

“Kokoa...”

“Please tell me I’m not a complete idiot for thinking you feel something, too. I... I know Ikki said, but when you look at me... Was I wrong about what I hoped I saw?”

“No.”

* * *

Soon after that, instead of renewing their lease on their apartment, they gave it up and moved in with Kent and his parents.

Kent and Kokoa married a few months later, neither of them admitting to Ikki just how long they’d been engaged before that point.

Ikki met someone immune to his eyes, and it didn’t take long for him to propose.

It didn’t take much longer for his first child to arrive.

Their family just kept growing.


End file.
